Paneling for the inside of a side wall of a rail vehicle

ABSTRACT

A paneling element for lining the inside of a side wall of a rail vehicle has a plate-shaped base body and an angled strip element which extends substantially parallel to an end side of the base body and which is embodied in one piece with the base body. The base body and the strip element form a receptacle in which a connecting element can be accommodated. The paneling element can be connected to the inside of the side wall by way of the connecting element. As a result, the paneling element can be easily and cost-effectively attached in a secure fashion to the inside of the side wall of the rail vehicle.

The invention relates to a paneling element, an arrangement and a methodfor lining an inside of a side wall of a rail vehicle.

It is commonly known that a side wall paneling for a side wall of a railvehicle serves to visually conceal an inside of a body shell of the railvehicle.

From practical experience, it is known that an arrangement for lining aninside of a side wall of a rail vehicle has two plate-like panelingelements, which are arranged adjacent to each other and are fastened tothe inside of the side wall by means of connecting elements.

There is a general need to fasten a paneling for a side wall of a railvehicle in a simple and cost-effective manner securely to an inside of aside wall of the rail vehicle.

An object of the invention is to define measures whereby a paneling fora side wall of a rail vehicle can be fastened in a simple andcost-effective manner securely to an inside of a side wall of the railvehicle.

This object is achieved by a paneling element for lining an inside of aside wall of a rail vehicle, an arrangement for lining an inside of aside wall of a rail vehicle, and a method for lining an inside of a sidewall of a rail vehicle according to the independent claims.

According to the invention, a paneling element for lining an inside of aside wall of a rail vehicle is provided, comprising a plate-like mainbody and an angled strip element, which latter extends substantiallyparallel to an end face of the main body and is configured in one piecewith the main body, wherein the main body and the strip element form areceptacle, in which can be accommodated a connecting element by meansof which the paneling element can be connected to the inside of the sidewall.

The paneling element according to the invention can be connected to theinside of the side wall of the rail vehicle in a particularly simple andsecure manner, since a connecting element can be held in a receptaclerunning along an end face of a main body of the connecting element and,at the same time, can be connectable to the inside of the side wall ofthe rail vehicle.

Since the strip element and the main body can be configured in onepiece, the paneling element can be produced in a particularlycost-effective manner.

Embodiments of the paneling element are described below. These alsoapply to the arrangement and the method.

The paneling element can be produced as a pressed part, so that thepaneling element can be producible in a particularly cost-effectivemanner in a single work step.

In particular, the main body of the paneling element can be of cuboidconfiguration and a longitudinal side of the cuboid main body can extendalong a longitudinal direction of the rail vehicle. The strip elementcan extend transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to thelongitudinal extent of the main body.

In particular, the strip element can be arranged on the main body at adistance from the end face of the main body, so that the receptacle canhave sufficient depth to accommodate the connecting element.

In particular, the strip element can have an elongate body having twostrip portions, which can be arranged transversely, in particularperpendicularly, to each other. This can enable a cost-effective andsimple production of the strip element overall.

In particular, the receptacle can be of elongate, in particulargroove-shaped configuration and extend along the entire longitudinalextent of the strip element.

In particular, the main body can have notches adjacent to one or bothsurfaces of the strip element, which notches can enable a slightmovement of the strip element in a direction transversely, in particularperpendicularly, to a longitudinal extent of the strip element. As aresult, stresses which can be exerted on the strip element due to themounting of the paneling element on the inside of the side wall or in amounted state of the paneling element, can hence be reduced or avoided.

The end face of the main body and an end face of the strip element canbe arranged adjacent to each other, viewed with respect to a directiontoward an opening of the receptacle, so that the main body and the stripelement can terminate flush with each other viewed in the directiontoward the opening of the receptacle. A contact force which isapproximately equally large on both sides can hence be applied to theconnecting element, so that the connecting element can be heldparticularly securely in the receptacle.

In addition, a connection of the paneling element to the inside of theside wall can be realized without breaching of the strip element, sothat the strip element cannot be subjected to any additional stressesand the paneling element can be securely fastenable to the inside of theside wall. In addition, in the mounted state of the paneling element,only a slight gap, through which the connecting element can be visible,can remain to an adjacently arranged paneling element.

The strip element can have one or more pocket-like bulges, which can befacing away from the main body. In particular, the plurality ofpocket-like bulges can be similarly, in particular identically,configured. The receptacle which can be formed by the strip element andthe main body can hence be widened in the region of the pocket-likebulge of the strip element, so that the connecting element can beintroduced particularly easily into the receptacle. An assembly effortinvolved in connecting the paneling element to the inside of the sidewall of the rail vehicle can hence be reduced.

The pocket-like bulge of the strip element, viewed along the end face ofthe main body of the connecting element, can be arranged on an endregion of the main body or on a middle region of the main body. Thepaneling element can hence be connected to the inside of the side wallof the rail vehicle at a plurality of connecting points, so that anunwanted detachment of the paneling element from the inside of the sidewall in the course of time can be prevented.

The invention further relates to an arrangement for lining an inside ofa side wall of a rail vehicle, comprising a first paneling element(described above) for lining the inside of the side wall, a secondpaneling element (described above) for lining the inside of the sidewall, and a connecting element, by means of which the first panelingelement and the second paneling element are connectable to the inside ofthe side wall, wherein the connecting element is accommodated in areceptacle of the first paneling element and in a receptacle of thesecond paneling element, which latter receptacle lies opposite thereceptacle of the first paneling element.

The arrangement according to the invention consequently enables aparticularly simple lining of the inside of the side wall of the railvehicle, since paneling elements arranged adjacent to each other can beconnected by means of a common connecting element, which cansimultaneously serve for the connection to the inside of the side wall.The arrangement according to the invention can therefore have fewcomponents, so that the arrangement can be produced in a particularlycost-effective manner. In addition, a mounting of the arrangement can becarried out in a particularly short time, so that assembly costs of thearrangement can be particularly low.

Embodiments of the arrangement are described below. These also apply tothe paneling element and the method.

In particular, the first and second paneling element can be arranged inmirror image to each other, and openings of the receptacles of the firstand second paneling element can face each other.

The arrangement further has an elongate spring element, which isaccommodated, in particular press-fitted, by force closure in thereceptacles of the first and second paneling element. In particular, thespring element can be configured as a metal plate. The spring elementcan enable a stable, flexible connection between two adjacent panelingelements, so that the stability of the arrangement can be enhanced.

A surface of the spring element, which surface can be facing away fromthe main body, can be covered, in particular fully, with a dampingelement, in particular felt.

Damage to the first and second paneling element by the connectingelement can hence be avoided, since the damping element, which can befacing toward the connecting element, can cushion vibrations of theconnecting element in the mounted state of the arrangement. In addition,the mounting of the arrangement can be simplified, in particularcompared with an introduction of the damping element into the receptacleof the first and second paneling element and/or a bonding of the dampingelement in the receptacles of the first and second paneling element,since the spring element already provided with the damping element canbe inserted ready-made into the receptacles of the first and secondpaneling element.

In particular, the damping element can be stuck onto the spring element,so that a particularly simple and therefore cost-effective production ofthe damped spring element can be enabled.

In particular, the connecting element can have a connecting plate and aconnecting bracket, and the connecting plate and the connecting bracketcan be screwed together and bolted to the inside of the side wall. Sincethe connecting element can be configured as a two-part component,production-related tolerances of the connecting element can becompensated by the assembly process.

In particular, the connecting plate can be of cuboid configuration.

In particular, the connecting bracket can have a U-shaped main body andtwo contact plates, which can respectively be arranged on end regions ofa different branch portion of the main body and can extend substantiallyparallel to a connecting portion of the main body which can jointogether the branch portions. In particular, the contact plates can bearranged outside the main body and be configured, for instance, asbent-over end regions of the branch portions in one piece with the mainbody. The connecting portion can here be bolted to the connecting plate.This can enable a cost-effective production of the connecting bracket,which can be sufficiently stable to bear the paneling element.

In particular, a longitudinal extent of the connecting portion and ofthe contact plates can be transverse, in particular perpendicular, tothe longitudinal extent of the strip element and/or a longitudinalextent of the receptacle.

The invention further relates to a rail vehicle, in particular a train,for instance a high speed train, which has an arrangement (describedabove) for lining an inside of a side wall of the rail vehicle.

The invention further relates to a method for lining an inside of a sidewall of a rail vehicle, comprising the steps: provision of a firstpaneling element (described above) for lining the inside of the sidewall, provision of a second paneling element (described above) forlining the inside of the side wall, and connection of the first panelingelement and of the second paneling element to the inside of the sidewall by means of a connecting element, wherein the connecting element isaccommodated in a receptacle of the first paneling element and in areceptacle of the second paneling element, which latter receptacle liesopposite the receptacle of the first paneling element.

Embodiments of the method are described below. These also apply to thepaneling element and the arrangement.

The method further comprises: provision of an elongate spring elementand arrangement of the spring element in the receptacles of the firstand second paneling element along an entire longitudinal extent of thereceptacles prior to the connection of the first and second panelingelement to the inside of the side wall. The first and second panelingelement can hence be fastened as a preassembled module to the inside ofthe side wall, so that the assembly effort in the rail vehicle can bereduced.

The above-described characteristics, features and advantages of thisinvention, as well as the way in which these are attained, become moreclearly and more plainly comprehensible within the context of thefollowing description of the illustrative embodiments, which areexplained in greater detail in connection with the drawings. Thebelow-represented features can here represent, both respectively inisolation and in combination, an aspect of the invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective side view of an arrangement forlining an inside of a side wall of a rail vehicle according to oneillustrative embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective top view of a first and secondpaneling element and a first connecting element of the arrangement inFIG. 1 along a line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the first and second paneling elementand of the first connecting element in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of the first paneling elementand of the first connecting element of the arrangement in FIG. 1.

An arrangement 10, represented in FIG. 1, for lining an inside 12 of aside wall 14 of a rail vehicle configured as a train has a firstpaneling element 16, a second paneling element 18 and a third panelingelement 20. The first and second paneling element 16, 18 are connectedone to the other and to the inside 12 of the side wall 14 of the trainby means of a first and second connecting element 22, 24. The second andthird paneling element 18, 20 are connected one to the other and to theinside 12 of the side wall 14 of the train by means of a third andfourth connecting element 26, 28. Those components of the arrangement 10which are shown in FIG. 1 can be arranged repeatedly, as a group, alonga longitudinal extent of the train.

The first, second and third paneling element 16-20 are identicallyconfigured and have in their middle respectively a rectangular windowopening, which overlaps with a window aperture of the side wall 14. Eachpaneling element 16-20 is produced as a pressed part. The first, second,third and fourth connecting elements 22-28 are likewise identicallyconfigured as respectively two-part components.

With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the first and second connecting element16, 17 and the first connecting element 20 are described below.

The first and second paneling element 16, 18 respectively have aplate-like main body 30 a, b and an angled strip element 32 a, b, whichlatter extends substantially parallel to an end face 34 a, b of the mainbody 30 a, b and is configured in one piece with the main body 30 a, b.A longitudinal extent of the strip element 32 a, b corresponds to awidth direction of the main body 30 a, b of the first and secondpaneling element 16, 18 which is identical to a longitudinal directionof the train.

The strip element 32 a, b is arranged on the main body 30 a, b at adistance from the end face 34 a, b of the main body 30 a, b and has anelongate body 36 a, b having two strip portions 38 a, b, 40 a, b, whichare bent at a right angle to each other. The strip portion 38 a isarranged on the main body 30 a, b. The main body 30 a, b and the stripelement 32 a, b form a groove-shaped receptacle 42 a, b, which extendsalong the entire longitudinal extent of the strip element 32 a, b and isopen in the direction of an end face 34 a, b of the main body 30 a, b.The end face 34 a, b of the main body 30 a, b and an end face 44 a, b ofthe second strip portion 40 a, b of the strip element 32 a, b are herearranged adjacent to each other viewed with respect to a directiontoward an opening of the receptacle 42 a, b, so that the end face 34 a,b of the main body 30 a, b and the end face 44 a, b of the strip element32 a, b close off the paneling element 16, 18 roughly flush in thedirection of the opening of the receptacle 42 a, b and the strip element32 a, b does not protrude from the main body 30 a, b.

The main body 30 a, b has adjacent to both surfaces of the first stripportion 38 a, b notches 45 a-d, which enable a slight movement of thestrip element 32 a, b along the longitudinal direction of the main body30 a, b. In addition, the first strip portion 38 a, b tapers in thedirection toward the second strip portion 40 a, b and a thickness of thesecond strip portion 40 a, b is approximately constant.

The strip element 32 a, b further has respectively two pocket-likebulges 46 a, b, which are recessed in a stepped manner in a directionfacing away from the main body 30 a, b. The receptacle 42 a, b is hencewidened in the region of the pocket-like bulges 46 a, b in the directionfacing away from the main body 30 a, b and has corresponding widenings50 a, b.

As shown in FIG. 3, the paneling elements 16, 18 are arranged adjacentto each other in such a way that the respective receptacles 42 a, b ofthe paneling elements 16, 18 lie opposite each other in a preciselyfitting manner with respect to the pocket-like widenings 50 a, b of therespective receptacles 42 a, b.

The end faces 34 a, b of the main bodies 30 a, b are spaced apart by adistance S, which roughly corresponds to a width of the second stripportion 40 a, b (FIG. 2).

The arrangement 10 further has per connecting element 22-28 an elongatespring element 52, which is configured as a metal leaf spring and onesurface of which is lined along an entire longitudinal extent of thespring element 52 with a damping element 54, for instance felt. Thespring element 52, viewed along its width direction, is accommodated inone-third measure within the strip element 32 a, b and bears with itsfree side 56, i.e. with its side not lined with the damping element 54,against a surface of the main body 30 a, b. About one-third of thesurface 56 of the spring element 52 is visible, along the widthdirection of the spring element 52, between the adjacently arrangedpaneling elements 16, 18.

The first connecting element 16 has a cuboid metal connecting plate 58,having a through hole 59 provided in the middle of the connecting plate58, and a connecting bracket 60. The connecting bracket 60 has aU-shaped main body 62, which has two branch portions 64, 66 and aconnecting portion 68 extending perpendicularly to the branch portions64, 66. End regions of two contact plates 70, 72, arranged outside themain body 62, of the connecting bracket 60 are connected at an open endof the main body 62 to respectively a different branch portion 64, 66.The main body 62 and the contact plates 70, 72 are configured in onepiece as bent metal plates. In the connecting portion 68, a centrallyarranged through bore 74 is provided. Each contact plate 70, 72 has athrough hole 76, 78.

In a mounted state of the arrangement 10, the connecting plate 58 bearsagainst the damping element 54 and, in one-third measure, against aninside of the second strip portion 40 a, b of the strip element 32 a, b.A bolt 82 is placed through the through hole 59 of the connecting plate58 and through the through hole 74 of the connecting portion 68 of themain body 62 and fixed by means of a nut 84. A surface of the connectingportion 68 of the main body 62 of the connecting bracket 60, whichsurface is facing toward the main body 30 a, b, here bears against thatsurface of the second strip portion 40 a, b of the strip element 32 a, bwhich is facing away from the main body 30 a, b. The second stripportion 40 a, b is hence clamped, by form closure and force closure,between the connecting plate 58 and the connecting portion 68 of theconnecting bracket 60. As shown in FIG. 2, a further, multipart dampingelement 70, namely elongate foam rubber webs, can be arranged parallelto the longitudinal direction of the main body 30 a, b, between thatsurface of the second strip portion 40 a, b which is facing away fromthe main body 30 a, b and that surface of the connecting portion 68which is facing toward the main body 30 a, b. The contact plates 70, 72extend along the longitudinal extent of the first and second panelingelement 16, 18 and here bear flush against the inside 12 of the sidewall 14. Bolts, which are placed through the through holes 76, 78 of thefirst and second contact plate 70, 72, are bolted through the inside 12of the side wall 14 into the side wall 14.

The arrangement 10 can have further connecting elements, which arefastened in receptacles which, viewed in the longitudinal direction ofthe train, are formed by a first and last paneling element. That endregion of the last paneling element which is pointing in thelongitudinal direction of the train and that end region of the firstpaneling element which is pointing counter to the longitudinal directionof the train are configured identically to the described, mutuallyfacing end regions of the paneling elements 16, 18. The connectingelements are configured identically to the connecting elements 20-28.

In a method for lining the inside 12 of the side wall 14 of the train,the first, second and third paneling element 16-20 and the first tofourth connecting element 22-28, as well as two spring elements 52 linedwith damping elements 54, are firstly provided. After this, therespective connecting plates 58 of the first and second connectingelement 22, 24 are inserted one after the other into the two pocket-likewidenings 50 a of the receptacle 42 a of the first paneling element 16,to the point where an end face 88 of the connecting plate 58 comes tobear against an inner face of the strip element 32 a. The secondpaneling element 18 is arranged in such a way adjacent, at a distance S,to the first paneling element 16 that the receptacles 40 a, b lieopposite each other and the connecting elements 22, 24 engage in thepocket-like widenings 50 a, b. The bolts 82 are placed through thethrough hole 59 of the connecting plate 58 of the first and secondconnecting elements 22, 24.

Next, the spring element 52, which is provided with the damping element54, is pressed along the longitudinal direction of the strip elements 32a, b into the groove-shaped receptacles 42 a, b of the adjacent panelingelements 16, 18. The damping element 54 here faces toward the secondstrip portion 40 a, b. After this, the connecting bracket 60 is placedagainst the surface, facing away from the main body 30 a, b, of thesecond strip portion 40 a, b of the strip element 32 a, b of the firstand second paneling element 16, 18, so that the bolt 82 is placedthrough the connecting hole 70. After this, the nut 84 is screwed ontothe bolt 82. The further damping element 70 can here be arranged betweenthat surface of the second strip portion 40 a, b which is facing awayfrom the main body 30 a, b and that surface of the connecting portion 68which is facing toward the main body 30 a, b.

This process is repeated for the second and third paneling element 18,20 and the third and fourth connecting element 26, 28.

The now mutually connected paneling elements 16-20 are bolted to theinside 12 of the side wall 14 by the contact plates 70, 72 of theconnecting elements 22-28 being placed flush against the inside 12 ofthe side wall 14, and appropriate bolts being placed through the throughholes 76, 78 of the connecting bracket 60 of the connecting elements20-26 and bolted into the inside 12 of the side wall 14.

Although the invention is more closely illustrated and described indetail through the preferred illustrative embodiment, the invention isnot restricted by the disclosed examples and other variants can bederived herefrom by the person skilled in the art, without departingfrom the scope of the invention.

1-11. (canceled)
 12. A paneling element for lining an inside of a sidewall of a rail vehicle, the paneling element comprising: a plate-shapedmain body having an end face; and an angled strip element extendingsubstantially parallel to said end face of said main body and beingformed in one piece with said main body; said main body and said stripelement forming a receptacle for accommodating therein a connectingelement configured for connecting the paneling element to the inside ofthe side wall of the rail vehicle.
 13. The paneling element according toclaim 12, wherein said paneling element is a pressed part.
 14. Thepaneling element according to claim 12, wherein said end face of saidmain body and an end face of said strip element are disposed adjacentone another, viewed with respect to a direction toward an opening ofsaid receptacle.
 15. The paneling element according to claim 12, whereinsaid strip element is formed with a pocket-shaped bulge facing away fromsaid main body.
 16. The paneling element according to claim 15, whereinsaid pocket-shaped bulge of said strip element, viewed along said endface of said main body of said paneling element, is arranged on an endregion of said main body or on a middle region of said main body.
 17. Anarrangement for lining an inside of a side wall of a rail vehicle,comprising: a first paneling element for lining the inside of the sidewall of the rail vehicle, said first paneling element being a panelingelement according to claim 12; a second paneling element for lining theinside of the side wall of the rail vehicle, said second panelingelement being a paneling element according to claim 12; said firstpaneling element and said second paneling element each being formed witha receptacle lying opposite the respectively other said receptacle; aconnecting element for connecting said first paneling element and saidsecond paneling element to the inside of the side wall of the railvehicle; said connecting element being accommodated in said receptacleof said first paneling element and in said receptacle of said secondpaneling element opposite from said receptacle of said first panelingelement.
 18. The arrangement according to claim 17, further comprisingan elongate spring element accommodated by force closure in saidreceptacles of said first and second paneling elements.
 19. Thearrangement according to claim 18, wherein said elongate spring elementis press-fitted in said receptacles of said first and second panelingelements.
 20. The arrangement according to claim 18, which furthercomprises a damping element disposed on a surface of said spring elementfacing away from said main body.
 21. The arrangement according to claim20, wherein said damping element is a felt covering the surface of saidspring element facing away from said main body.
 22. A rail vehicle,comprising an arrangement according to claim
 17. 23. The rail vehicleaccording to claim 22 configured as a train.
 24. A method of lining aninside of a side wall of a rail vehicle, the method comprising:providing a first paneling element for lining the inside of the sidewall of the rail vehicle, the first paneling element being a panelingelement according to claim 12; providing a second paneling element forlining the inside of the side wall of the rail vehicle, the secondpaneling element being a paneling element according to claim 12;connecting the first paneling element and the second paneling element tothe inside of the side wall of the train by way of a connecting element,wherein the connecting element is accommodated in a receptacle of thefirst paneling element and in a receptacle of the second panelingelement, the receptacle of the second paneling element lying oppositethe receptacle of the first paneling element.
 25. The method accordingto claim 24, further comprising: providing an elongate spring element;and placing a spring element in the receptacles of the first and secondpaneling elements along an entire longitudinal extent of the receptaclesprior to the step of connection the first and second paneling to theinside of the side wall of the rail vehicle.